U3 was a joint venture between SanDisk and M-Systems, producing a
proprietary
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;Freezing with certain CD writing software: There is a possibility of slowing down or freezing Windows XP Pro if certain Windows drivers that are associated with high-volume data transfers to CD writers using certain CD/DVD burning software installed.
;Proprietary format/closed platform: The U3 platform is a "closed" platform /
proprietary format
A proprietary file format is a file format of a company, organization, or individual that contains data that is ordered and stored according to a particular encoding-scheme, such that the decoding and interpretation of this stored data is easily ac ...
. SanDisk, the rightsholders for U3, ask for a 5% royalty from USB flash drive manufacturers who wish to implement the platform on their products.
;Two drive letters: As a work-around to the lack of Auto-Play for Flash drives on older versions of Windows, the U3 software creates two drive letters (one which presents itself as a CD to allow Windows' auto-play to start the launcher, and another for storing user data). Although this is the only way to implement auto-start functionality on pre-Windows XP systems, it could be considered a
kludge
A kludge or kluge () is a workaround or makeshift solution that is clumsy, inelegant, inefficient, difficult to extend, and hard to maintain. This term is used in diverse fields such as computer science, aerospace engineering, Internet slang, ...
, and the extra drive letter created can be an annoyance. However, it is possible to prevent Windows from allocating a drive letter for the "CD drive" via the Windows "Disk Management" tool—as long as the user has the appropriate rights/authority to do so.
;Incompatibility with certain embedded systems: Some host systems—such as photo kiosks, consumer electronics, and other
embedded computing
An embedded system is a specialized computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/output peripheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electronic system. It is em ...
devices—cannot correctly mount U3 "smart drives." The problem may arise because the emulated CD-ROM is the first drive presented to the host system. As such, the device is detected as a CD-ROM drive or not at all. Although some newer photo kiosks are U3 aware and can overcome this limitation, it still exists on many platforms.
See also
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USB flash drive
A flash drive (also thumb drive, memory stick, and pen drive/pendrive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. A typical USB drive is removable, rewritable, and smaller than an optical disc, and u ...
Live USB
A live USB is a portable USB-attached external data storage device containing a full operating system that can be booted from. The term is reminiscent of USB flash drives but may encompass an external hard disk drive or solid-state drive, thou ...
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Live CD
A live CD (also live DVD, live disc, or live operating system) is a complete booting, bootable computer installation including operating system which runs directly from a CD-ROM or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than lo ...
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Comparison of application launchers
An application launcher is a computer program that helps a user to locate and start other computer programs. An application launcher provides shortcuts to computer programs, and stores the shortcuts in one place so they are easier to find.
In th ...
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Windows To Go
Windows To Go was a feature in Windows 8 Enterprise, Windows 8.1 Enterprise, Windows 10 Education Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 11 versions prior to the May 2020 update, that allows the system to boot and run from certain USB mass storag ...
Notes
References
External links
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* {{cite web
, url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1861681,00.asp
, title=Full Preview - U3 Preview
, date=2005-09-21
, author=Ben Z. Gottesman
, publisher=
PC Magazine
''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and continues .
Overview
''PC Mag ...